Current:Home > ContactIs there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance. -Elevate Capital Network
Is there a better live sonic feast than Jeff Lynne's ELO? Not a chance.
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 21:07:40
WASHINGTON – Six years ago, Jeff Lynne delighted fans when he brought his Electric Light Orchestra to the U.S. for the first time in decades.
Never one to tiptoe out of his preferred studio confines with any regularity, Lynne nonetheless crafted an absolutely dazzling production stocked with gripping visuals (in a pre-Sphere world) and perhaps the most pristine sound ever heard at a rock show.
Guess who’s back and as aurally flawless as ever?
This Over and Out Tour – a believable farewell given his age (76) and the reality that he isn’t a road dog – is in the middle of its 31 dates and will wrap Oct. 26 in Los Angeles. At Capital One Arena in D.C. Wednesday, Lynne, still shaggy, sporting tinted glasses and mostly in supple voice, didn’t have much to say other than many humble acknowledgements of the crowd’s affection. But who needs to blather on when there is a brisk 90-minute set of lush ‘70s and ‘80s classics to administer?
More:The Eagles deploy pristine sound, dazzling visuals at Vegas Sphere kickoff concert: Review
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
ELO dropped a setlist that romped through '70s classics
Aside from the opening “One More Time” – obviously chosen for its literalness – from ELO’s 2019 album “From Out of Nowhere,” the sonic feast concentrated on the band’s ‘70s output, seesawing from Top 10 rock smashes (“Don’t Bring Me Down”) to deep cuts (“Showdown”).
Complementing these impeccably recreated gems was a slew of eye candy. Lasers and videos and spaceships (oh my) buttressed each offering in the 20-song set, with an animated witch morphing into a creepy eyeball (“Evil Woman”) and green lasers enveloping the arena like ribbons in the sky (“Telephone Line”).
Lynne’s band was loaded with familiar names from the previous tour, including the rich string section of Jessie Murphy (violin) and Amy Langley and Jess Cox (cello) and standout vocalists – really more than mere backup singers – Iain Hornal and Melanie Lewis-McDonald, who handled the heavy lifting on the giddy “Rockaria!”
One unexpected offering, “Believe Me Now,” was added to the setlist a couple of weeks ago. An instrumental album track from ELO’s 1977 mega-selling double album, “Out of the Blue,” the song, an intro to the equally moving "Steppin' Out," exhales chord changes so sumptuous, they’ll make your eyes water.
More:Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band still rock, quake and shake after 50 years
Jeff Lynne and ELO say goodbye with a smile
But that’s a feeling frequently evoked during the show, coupled with the joy of hearing these sculpted beauties one final time.
The crisp opening guitar riff of “Do Ya,” the disco-fied “Last Train to London,” the wistful dreamscape “Strange Magic,” all unfurled with precision, but not sterility.
A sea of phone lights held aloft accented “Can’t Get it Out of My Head,” a technological illumination replacing the lighters that reigned 50 years ago when the song was released.
But that all preceded the standout in a show stuffed with them – the musical masterpiece “Turn to Stone.” Between the rapid-fire vocal breakdown nailed by Hornal and Lewis-McDonald – which earned its own ovation – and the furious, frenetic build to a musical climax, the orchestral pop dazzler electrified the arena.
Close to the bliss of that corker was show closer “Mr. Blue Sky,” an anthem of optimism that still sounds like sunshine. Bassist Lee Pomeroy high-stepped through its Beatles-esque bouncy rhythm while Lynne and the band traded layered harmonies on the pop treasure.
It was as obvious a closer as “One More Time” was the opener, but really, how else could Lynne leave a multigenerational throng of fans other than with a smile?
veryGood! (34)
Related
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- The price of gold hit a record high this week. Is your gold bar worth $1 million?
- JD Vance said Tim Walz lied about IVF. What to know about IVF and IUI.
- Blake Lively Reveals She Baked “Amazing” Boob Cake for Son Olin’s First Birthday
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Ella Emhoff's DNC dress was designed in collaboration with a TikToker: 'We Did It Joe!'
- Judge Mathis' wife Linda files for divorce from reality TV judge after 39 years together
- Daniel Suarez's car catches fire during NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- The Daily Money: Housing market shows some hope
Ranking
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- TikTok Organization Pro Emilie Kiser’s Top Tips & Must-Have Products for a Clean, Organized Life
- Scott Servais' firing shows how desperate the Seattle Mariners are for a turnaround
- Beware, NFL rookie QBs: Massive reality check is coming
- Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
- College football Week 0 breakdown starts with Florida State-Georgia Tech clash
- A child was reported missing. A TV news helicopter crew spotted him on the roof playing hooky
- Are convention viewing numbers a hint about who will win the election? Don’t bet on it
Recommendation
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Kansas judge throws out machine gun possession charge, cites Second Amendment
Dump truck leaves hole in covered bridge when it crashes into river in Maine
Rapper Enchanting's Cause of Death Revealed
Big Lots store closures could exceed 300 nationwide, discount chain reveals in filing
New Orleans is finally paying millions of dollars in decades-old legal judgments
Judge declines to order New York to include ‘abortion’ in description of ballot measure
Are convention viewing numbers a hint about who will win the election? Don’t bet on it